Sibling Rivarly
by Rozi
Summary: Set a long time ago, before any of the Watch books, Angua has to protect her brother and sister from Wolfgang and help them escape from Uberwald, but will the plan work? *UPDATED! Chapter 4!* After all this time...
1. Default Chapter

Sibling rivalry- part 2  
  
Rozi aka Angua's #1 fan!  
  
**Chapter 2 cha cha cha! Here I am! Clinging like a limpet to the number one Angua fan spot! There is SO much you can write about her! Which is good. YAY to Jo, who is a very good writer (go read her Discworld stories people!) and to those nice people who give me good reviews. I DO intend to carry on Bad influence, never fear! Right now, onto the show! ***  
  
***I fixed the problem before, the chapters got bunched up. Dunno how. But it's hopefully fixed now. ***  
  
Angua, Elsa and Andrei took a walk the next day. The sun glowed above the frosty forest and had begun to melt the top layer of snow. Its efforts would probably be wasted by tonight. "Igor said heavy snow will fall tonight," Elsa remarked. "Oh?" Angua kicked a pile by her foot. "It might cause problems tonight." "Yes, but it might cover out scents." "Not nearly enough, Wolfgang's got a good sense of smell." "Not as good as mine." Elsa stopped. Angua walked on for a few seconds and stopped as well. "What?" She asked. Elsa sighed and said, "I can't." "Can't what?" Angua turned to look at her. She swallowed and said "Can't go?!" Elsa refused to meet her sister's gaze. "Elsa! What the hell do you mean CAN'T go? Do you WANT to die?!" Angua walked toward her. "No, but how are you so certain that if I stay Wolfgang will kill me?" Elsa looked up at hers sister, her eyes full of the seriousness of her words. Angua stared in disbelief. "Elsa, look at your face! He could've killed you if I hadn't got there!" "But-" "He wants you dead because of the fact that you can't change! I know! I can smell it and he follows the old ways like a religion! He will kill you and if you don't get away-" "Why can't I just face him? Why do you always have to do the fighting for me?!" Elsa's sudden cry out took Angua aback for a moment. "What?" "He thinks I'm weak because you've always had to stand up for me, not because I'm a yennork!" "Elsa, listen to m-" "If I run away then it'll just prove him right! That all yennorks are weak and can't stand up for themselves," Elsa cried, "what makes you think I can't fight him myself?" Angua stared and stared. "Would you stand up to a charging elephant?" Angua asked, straining calm in her voice. "No but-" "Would you try and fight a landslide?" "That's not the point!" "Oh it is," Angua gripped her shoulders "he will beat you." "What makes you so sure? Why won't you let me fight my own battles?" Elsa shouted. "Because I want you alive!" "No! You think I'm weak just like him!" "That's not it-" "Yes it is!" "Elsa, I won't let you just charge in to fight him down because of pride!" "Don't you think I deserve it?!" "What? To be stupid enough to think you can fight a monster!" "Stupid? You think I'm stupid!" "NO!" "Then WHAT!" "YOU'RE TOO GOOD TO GET YOURSELF KILLED BY HIM!" They stopped; Elsa had tears in her eyes. "What?" She whispered. Angua swallowed "Elsa, listen to me for a minute. You are a good kind person. You and Andrei are good caring people. Wolfgang will kill you both in a second." "Why?" "Because he doesn't care about good, he just wants power and he will just slaughter anyone who tries to stop him." "I knew that, but you stand up to him. You're good, but he can't beat you. He loses every fight with you, so why bother with us?" "I." Angua turned away. "Angua?" Elsa felt Andrei curl up by her leg, he wasn't much good at fighting. And he could smell tension. "Angua?" Elsa repeated and put her hand on her shoulder. She sniffed and turned back "Elsa. He hates me; I got everything that he should have had." Angua had hot red streaks where tears cut her cheeks. "He wanted me to join his cause, but I didn't. He wants his plans to go through, but I could stop him. He hates to think anyone could beat him, so he wants to make sure I have nothing. To make me lose everything." Angua looked down at the floor "I protect you because you're my sister, I care about you and he hates to think I protect someone like you. A weak defective," She spat, "he'll kill you with out a second thought because he hates me so much." Elsa bit her lip "I'm. sorry." "Don't try and fight him, you know better than I do that once he sets his mind to something then he'll see it through. Even if it's got no chance," she sobbed, "because it's going to make me suffer!" Elsa shook her head "But he's always saying how strong you are." "With a stink of disgust! He hates the idea that I have self control and that I can beat him!" "I..." "Mother knows it to, though she's too damn arrogant to admit it!" Elsa looked at the floor "I never saw it like that." "No, well not many people do." "Sorry." The silence echoed amongst the trees around them. "Elsa, Andrei, I will make sure you get safely away from Uberwald," Angua said sternly, "we have a plan; we just need to see it through." Easier said than done.  
  
  
  
Wolfgang sprawled by the fire; he felt little need for his usual exercises now. They would be easy pickings after all. A man, not a werewolf, rather thin and spindly walked in carefully and stood to attention. "Nikolai? I take it the route is set?" "Yes sir," he replied nervously. "Good, I take it that you know when they'll be leaving?" "Yes, they will leave tonight sir. She and some wolves will be escorting them through the forest. They will most likely take a route along the river so that they might be able to cover their tracks and it will provide an easy escape route." "Ah yes, very clever." "I have set up a few points down the river where your . men, will be able to corner them." "Good." Wolfgang nodded to another werewolf who entered his presence, "Let him walk free Alexis, he has done his duty." "Sir? My reward?" Nikolai asked carefully. Wolfgang raised an eyebrow, as if he had forgotten. "Ah, now I remember, waiting in your apartment in Bonk there will be a sack of ten thousand crowns as we agreed." "Thank you sir. How can I be su-" That was clearly pushing his luck. "You can be sure by leaving this castle alive to get your reward," Wolfgang snarled, "Go now before I change my mind and decide letting you off the GAME was a good idea!" The man nodded quickly and ran out of the room. Wolfgang stretched and waited. The man got a few steps. There was a scream, which was cut off in a rather terminal way. Followed finally by several snaps and growling. His mother stepped into the room, sighing "You know Wolf; you didn't need to kill him. We could have spared the crowns easily." Wolfgang laughed and stood up flexing his muscles "I am surprised at this! You would not normally mind if I chased someone in the game and caught them! It was funnier this way mother." "But you didn't, he bargained with you to let him go he offered to spy for you!" "He didn't know I hadn't given up the chase, I was simply lying in wait for him to finally think I had really let him go." Serafine shook her head "You know how to be sporting don't you?" "Of course." The baroness sat down in a chair and watched the fire "A full moon night? Not a wise choice for escape I would have thought!" "No, but maybe dear Delphine wanted to make sure her dearest brother and sister got a chance by getting them out as soon as possible. It at least makes this little chase more exciting." "You always give them chances Wolf, it is risky," the baroness said sternly. "But symbolic! Symbols are powerful tools mother; they work far more than words do!" "Very wise Wolf, but still a great gamble. We could lose everything just because of petty imagery!" Wolfgang smiled; his incisors seemed to smile with him. "Trust me mother, I know what I am doing." "Good, I hope so." 


	2. Plan A, B and C

Sibling rivalry- part 2  
  
Rozi aka Angua's #1 fan!  
  
**Chapter 2 cha cha cha! Here I am! Clinging like a limpet to the number one Angua fan spot! There is SO much you can write about her! Which is good. YAY to Jo, who is a very good writer (go read her Discworld stories people!) and to those nice people who give me good reviews. I DO intend to carry on Bad influence, never fear! Right now, onto the show! ***  
  
***I fixed the problem before, the chapters got bunched up. Dunno how. But it's hopefully fixed now. ***  
  
Angua, Elsa and Andrei took a walk the next day. The sun glowed above the frosty forest and had begun to melt the top layer of snow. Its efforts would probably be wasted by tonight. "Igor said heavy snow will fall tonight," Elsa remarked. "Oh?" Angua kicked a pile by her foot. "It might cause problems tonight." "Yes, but it might cover out scents." "Not nearly enough, Wolfgang's got a good sense of smell." "Not as good as mine." Elsa stopped. Angua walked on for a few seconds and stopped as well. "What?" She asked. Elsa sighed and said, "I can't." "Can't what?" Angua turned to look at her. She swallowed and said "Can't go?!" Elsa refused to meet her sister's gaze. "Elsa! What the hell do you mean CAN'T go? Do you WANT to die?!" Angua walked toward her. "No, but how are you so certain that if I stay Wolfgang will kill me?" Elsa looked up at hers sister, her eyes full of the seriousness of her words. Angua stared in disbelief. "Elsa, look at your face! He could've killed you if I hadn't got there!" "But-" "He wants you dead because of the fact that you can't change! I know! I can smell it and he follows the old ways like a religion! He will kill you and if you don't get away-" "Why can't I just face him? Why do you always have to do the fighting for me?!" Elsa's sudden cry out took Angua aback for a moment. "What?" "He thinks I'm weak because you've always had to stand up for me, not because I'm a yennork!" "Elsa, listen to m-" "If I run away then it'll just prove him right! That all yennorks are weak and can't stand up for themselves," Elsa cried, "what makes you think I can't fight him myself?" Angua stared and stared. "Would you stand up to a charging elephant?" Angua asked, straining calm in her voice. "No but-" "Would you try and fight a landslide?" "That's not the point!" "Oh it is," Angua gripped her shoulders "he will beat you." "What makes you so sure? Why won't you let me fight my own battles?" Elsa shouted. "Because I want you alive!" "No! You think I'm weak just like him!" "That's not it-" "Yes it is!" "Elsa, I won't let you just charge in to fight him down because of pride!" "Don't you think I deserve it?!" "What? To be stupid enough to think you can fight a monster!" "Stupid? You think I'm stupid!" "NO!" "Then WHAT!" "YOU'RE TOO GOOD TO GET YOURSELF KILLED BY HIM!" They stopped; Elsa had tears in her eyes. "What?" She whispered. Angua swallowed "Elsa, listen to me for a minute. You are a good kind person. You and Andrei are good caring people. Wolfgang will kill you both in a second." "Why?" "Because he doesn't care about good, he just wants power and he will just slaughter anyone who tries to stop him." "I knew that, but you stand up to him. You're good, but he can't beat you. He loses every fight with you, so why bother with us?" "I." Angua turned away. "Angua?" Elsa felt Andrei curl up by her leg, he wasn't much good at fighting. And he could smell tension. "Angua?" Elsa repeated and put her hand on her shoulder. She sniffed and turned back "Elsa. He hates me; I got everything that he should have had." Angua had hot red streaks where tears cut her cheeks. "He wanted me to join his cause, but I didn't. He wants his plans to go through, but I could stop him. He hates to think anyone could beat him, so he wants to make sure I have nothing. To make me lose everything." Angua looked down at the floor "I protect you because you're my sister, I care about you and he hates to think I protect someone like you. A weak defective," She spat, "he'll kill you with out a second thought because he hates me so much." Elsa bit her lip "I'm. sorry." "Don't try and fight him, you know better than I do that once he sets his mind to something then he'll see it through. Even if it's got no chance," she sobbed, "because it's going to make me suffer!" Elsa shook her head "But he's always saying how strong you are." "With a stink of disgust! He hates the idea that I have self control and that I can beat him!" "I..." "Mother knows it to, though she's too damn arrogant to admit it!" Elsa looked at the floor "I never saw it like that." "No, well not many people do." "Sorry." The silence echoed amongst the trees around them. "Elsa, Andrei, I will make sure you get safely away from Uberwald," Angua said sternly, "we have a plan; we just need to see it through." Easier said than done.  
  
  
  
Wolfgang sprawled by the fire; he felt little need for his usual exercises now. They would be easy pickings after all. A man, not a werewolf, rather thin and spindly walked in carefully and stood to attention. "Nikolai? I take it the route is set?" "Yes sir," he replied nervously. "Good, I take it that you know when they'll be leaving?" "Yes, they will leave tonight sir. She and some wolves will be escorting them through the forest. They will most likely take a route along the river so that they might be able to cover their tracks and it will provide an easy escape route." "Ah yes, very clever." "I have set up a few points down the river where your . men, will be able to corner them." "Good." Wolfgang nodded to another werewolf who entered his presence, "Let him walk free Alexis, he has done his duty." "Sir? My reward?" Nikolai asked carefully. Wolfgang raised an eyebrow, as if he had forgotten. "Ah, now I remember, waiting in your apartment in Bonk there will be a sack of ten thousand crowns as we agreed." "Thank you sir. How can I be su-" That was clearly pushing his luck. "You can be sure by leaving this castle alive to get your reward," Wolfgang snarled, "Go now before I change my mind and decide letting you off the GAME was a good idea!" The man nodded quickly and ran out of the room. Wolfgang stretched and waited. The man got a few steps. There was a scream, which was cut off in a rather terminal way. Followed finally by several snaps and growling. His mother stepped into the room, sighing "You know Wolf; you didn't need to kill him. We could have spared the crowns easily." Wolfgang laughed and stood up flexing his muscles "I am surprised at this! You would not normally mind if I chased someone in the game and caught them! It was funnier this way mother." "But you didn't, he bargained with you to let him go he offered to spy for you!" "He didn't know I hadn't given up the chase, I was simply lying in wait for him to finally think I had really let him go." Serafine shook her head "You know how to be sporting don't you?" "Of course." The baroness sat down in a chair and watched the fire "A full moon night? Not a wise choice for escape I would have thought!" "No, but maybe dear Delphine wanted to make sure her dearest brother and sister got a chance by getting them out as soon as possible. It at least makes this little chase more exciting." "You always give them chances Wolf, it is risky," the baroness said sternly. "But symbolic! Symbols are powerful tools mother; they work far more than words do!" "Very wise Wolf, but still a great gamble. We could lose everything just because of petty imagery!" Wolfgang smiled; his incisors seemed to smile with him. "Trust me mother, I know what I am doing." "Good, I hope so." 


	3. Bargains with wolves

**_Sibling Rivalry part 3- Bargains with wolves_**

Rozi

*** Right then… time for the next part of the story…***

Angua led Elsa and Andrei out into the woods, the snow was falling heavily and the trees seemed to tower over Elsa, who shook not only with the cold.

Angua could smell the pack; she ran ahead in wolf shape and entered a clearing. 

There they were, in the middle of the clearing was Gavin. He had waited patiently for her, his quiet, but absolute, authority over the pack radiated like a fire. A few slightly smaller deputy wolves were behind him, they glared apprehensively at Angua.

"Are you ready to go?" Gavin asked "We will take you to the other humans; I will take you both in if I am needed to, but the others will not."

Elsa understood canine, she smiled gratefully "Thank you," she said, "thank you all so much."

The wolves gave her a look of mild distain; she didn't smell right to them. 

They were a little happier with Andrei; he was mainly a wolf with a little more human intelligence to them.

Angua stepped in front of Gavin and said "We ought to leave immediately; I will keep an eye out for Wolfgang."

Gavin nodded "Yes."

The pack moved across the snow covered banks, the wolves flattening the snow for Elsa and Angua held her nose to the air. They had been running for what seemed like hours and the moon was now quite high.

Nothing yet, but then again, the snow wasn't helping. At least it covered their tracks a little, but Wolfgang had a good nose.

"Werewolf," Gavin trotted beside her, "we are not far from human place."

"Yes, about two miles or so I'd say, we'll be there soon."

She turned round to check Elsa, who was looking tired. Her small pack wasn't a burden, but her shoulders were beginning to sag and her eyes looked sullen.

'This cold's not doing her any good at all,' Angua thought, 'I hope she's going to be alright.'

Gavin sniffed "You worried?"

Angua turned to look back at him "Yes, a lot," she replied.

"She will be all right," Gavin said, "she with us."

Angua nodded "I can't tell you-"

"What are you going to do?"

The question was rather a shock.

"What?"

Gavin indicated over to Elsa and Andrei "They leave, what will you do?"

Angua stopped.

"I'm… not really sure… haven't thought about it really."

Gavin sniffed "Not think about future?"

Angua looked at Gavin, full in the face, her eyes meeting his deeply unsettling gaze. 

"No… I'm more concerned about them."

"Oh."

Angua went in front of Elsa to help the other wolves even out the snow, thinking about what he had said. 

The future? What _about the future? ...._

Wolfgang and his wolves prowled behind them, his nose caught their scents immediately, but they were faint and far off. 

"Very clever," he muttered and signalled to two of the werewolves behind him "Fyodor, Rurik, go ahead and corner them, Ivan, Josif go to their right, Julius and Malvik to the left. We will box them in the old fashioned way."

The snow was falling fast and thick and the moonlight shimmered above the sharp spears of pine as the wolves dived away to their designated posts.

A werewolf, named Grigory, trotted up to Wolfgang "She is supposed to be clever," he muttered, "yet she picked a night like this! Doesn't sound intelligent to me."

Wolfgang grinned, insofar as a wolf can grin, and said "Obviously wasn't thinking ahead."

Angua paused, her ears twitched and her nose was high.

"Oh Gods," she muttered, "He's close."

Gavin's head darted around; he picked up the scent and spun to the other wolves. They began to panic; some of them backed away and began to whine at Gavin. He bared his teeth "Keep going!"

Whimpering, the wolves ran faster and Andrei was nudging the back of Elsa's legs with his nose "Elsa! What is matter?"

Elsa looked up; her faint werewolf nose could smell Wolfgang's scent not to far away, she sniffed and blinked snow out of her eyes "Hard… to… run," she muttered, "too tired."

"Elsa!" Angua ran back to check on her "Keep running Elsa, we're nearly there!"

She tried to push her legs and run, but they were buckling under her and Angua could see it. It turned her stomach, this was a bad idea! What the hells was she thinking?! Bringing them out on a night like this! 

But I thought Wolfgang wouldn't be able to track us, she thought, he must have found out.

How the…

Well, too late to worry about that now.

Far too late.

They leapt out of the forest before any of the wolves had time to think. Teeth bared claws out and fur bristling.

Angua turned quickly, ready for the first assault which came from a werewolf's jaws in her hind leg. She roared and kicked hard, there was a crack from the hapless werewolf as she landed her other back leg right between his eyes. He fell back and lay still.

She wheeled round in time to see teeth bared towards her, its ravenous eyes fixed on her neck. She dived out of the way and it hit the snow, she leapt to subdue it, but then two more werewolves sprung out and leapt on her. She could feel their teeth tear into her skin and she tried to shake them off in the confusion of blood, rage and screams. More and more of the werewolves sunk their jaws in and tore at her and she begun to fall. All she could hear was her own heart, the roars of the wolves and, faintly but ever present, was Elsa's cries.  

And that was it.

She really hadn't thought ahead.

Elsa backed against a tree as the werewolves circled around her, teeth bared and dripping with wolf blood and…

"Angua!" She screamed as she watched her sister fall in a flurry of jaws, even Angua couldn't stand up to the _whole family. _

"She'll be fine in a while," snarled a voice from out of the shadows, "I wouldn't worry about her right now if I were you."

The wolves had been scattered, in the confusion she could barely smell them or Gavin. Andrei's shrill cries were heard in the distance, she could hear howls rising from the forest all around, wolf and werewolf, all calling for reinforcements. They had been disastrously outnumbered by the werewolves.

She sobbed and stared into the faces of her family, baying for her blood and turned away.

Only to stare into the worst face of all.

"Hello Elsa," Wolfgang in human form, leered sadistically, "a nice run in the forest never fails to buck the spirits eh?"

Tears streamed down Elsa's desperate face, "Wolfgang…"

"You threw us off for a while, I have to admit, but it is full moon and we are at our best! You couldn't out run us; surely you must have known that? Or do you forget your place half-breed?" 

Elsa backed away; Wolfgang grabbed her by the hair and hauled her up painfully to look her in the eye. She stared back into eyes that glowed with the heartless fury of a monster.

"But, I am not completely unreasonable little waste-blood, after all, what would be the fun in just killing you here with out a good chase?"

He threw her hard against a tree, she slammed her fore head into it and blood began to trickle from above her eyebrow. 

Wolfgang picked her up by the hair again, "I am offering you a chance to live Elsa, if you make it back to the castle then we will allow you to leave Uberwald and never come back. If you do not make it… well, even you would know what will happen _then."_

His teeth glinted like ice, his smile was contorting into a muzzle and his eyes danced with the same murderous glimmer. 

She knew in her very soul she would never make it back. 

No one ever did.

He flung her to the ground again and she landed in the snow. She looked up and Wolfgang towered over her "Well," he said expectedly "aren't you going to run?"

She shook her head "No!" She cried, tears running down her face "I don't have to run! No one ever has to run!"

She staggered to her feet "I'd rather die here and save you the satisfaction of watching me run!"

Wolfgang faltered for a moment, just a moment, and then he threw back his head and laughed cruelly "Trying your hand at bravery? How adorable, how sweet, but I think you _will run."_

He motioned to two other werewolves in human form and they walked over to the body of Angua, one of them pulled something out from a rope around his waist and it glimmered in the moonlight. He held it to Angua's throat.

"Oh gods…" Elsa sobbed.

"It was hard to come by, believe you me, but we found some. Despite being a yennork you still can only be killed by fire and silver. I was going to use it on you, but why bother? This is much more fun."

Wolfgang knelt down and said "I believe we have a bargain?"

Dun dun da…

Ready for part 4? Reviews are appreciated people! Also, I have updated Bad Influence with chapter 6! Please review.


	4. The Nature of the Beast

**Sibling Rivalry- Chapter 4**

_Nature of the Beast_

*** Hah! I can name my chapter Nature of the Beast and Pterry couldn't! Hahahaha! Sorry, I'll get on with it. *** 

Elsa stumbled through the trees, her breath was burning in her throat and her eyes stung with the cold winds that whipped her winter cloak around her. She stopped to try and blink the dots out of her eyes and stop the world from spinning.

She heard the hunter's horn blast a short, horrible note and the terrible howls and her adrenaline, burning what little energy she had left, urged her forward.

She had to find the river; that was important, it lead straight back to the castle and it would be easier to stick to it. There were barns, dwellings, houses, boat docks and that meant some chance of shelter or help…

No, help wasn't an option, the people along the river were far too sensible to give help to those on the run in the Game. She carried on crunching through the snow and tried not to listen to her mind's ear, which could hear the sounds of wolves and hot, panting breath closing in on her.

Wolfgang almost leisurely trotted along in front of the army of werewolves behind him and when ever the others tried to run he would snap at them. One of the wolves, his cousin Unity, snarled irritably "Wolf! Why aren't we running, she could get away!"

Wolfgang turned on her with a grin "Did you not listen my dear cousin? She has gone to the river, probably following it to the castle. That's not terribly original, but at least it works with our plan."

"What plan?"

Wolfgang began to laugh, the kind of laughter you would expect from his kind, and he said, in a sickeningly gleeful voice "A trap my dear and a short cut!"

The sound of running water could not have come any quicker for Elsa, she almost cried for joy as she heard the sound of the river and she was spurred on. This was working! Oh Gods this was working! She would be able to leave and then she could send a letter or something back to Angua and-

She stopped, this was too easy! She turned back to see if anyone was following her, but nothing stirred in the trees or in the snow, she could see only her tracks and the scent was clear for miles around. Elsa took a deep breath and stopped, this wasn't right; surely they should be following her? She wasn't that fast and they were much faster than this! This smelt bad. Like a trap-

But a deep, animal part of her survival snapped angrily 'We've made good time that's all! Do you want them to speed up and catch you? Besides, what makes you think they'll be intelligent enough for a trap?'

Elsa, still feeling a stab of doubt in her stomach, pushed away the voice of panic and continued to follow the sound of the water. 

After what felt like hours she came to the river bank, she sighed in relief and knelt down to splash her stinging hot face with the water. Her snow cloak was heavy with snow and she tugged it off and sent it down the river, a diversion for them, not a good one, but it will do for now. She got up and walked up the bank towards the sounds of a small port and boats. Elsa picked up her pace and tried running, but her legs felt heavy and her mind wasn't up to it. She felt physically and mentally exhausted from the chase already, how could she outrun them now? But she still had the river; she still had a clear route back to the castle and a way out of Uberwald-

If Wolfgang kept his word, but that was a leap of faith in itself, he could have killed Angua by now and what if mother was in on this and was now locking the doors as she thought this? Well, that was not an issue at the moment, she thought, cross that bridge when we come to it, right now it is important to keep running and keep going. Her hair was flying uncontrollably in her face and she pushed it away from her sticking forehead, clammy with sweat. Each breath was like ice and every step sent fire roaring through her legs. 

"Oh help me," she sobbed, "I'm so scared…"

She brushed the tears away and carried on running, she would make it! Just keep running, keep… running… keep…going….

The small port was in front of her; she sighed and punched the air in relief! She made it and still no sign of the werewolves… 

But something filled her nostrils like a sudden stab, the smell of blood lust on the panting jaws of her family and the smell of hair standing on end. 

"How?!" She muttered, fear burst her hope and sank her to her knees in the snow, tears springing in her eyes once more, "How did they get here? I couldn't smell them behind me…"

A sudden realisation made her choke and nausea bubbled in her throat; _they had been here the entire time_! They knew what she was going to do, they knew! They had prepared!

"Fancy seeing you here Elsa."

Elsa turned and saw him, the gleeful, smug, animal smile of the successful hunter. She met those glowing eyes again and her heart sank. 

"Please, don't hurt me…" she sobbed, "I don't want to be here, let me go…"

"Let you go!" Wolfgang laughed "And let you spread that filthy, wastrel blood of yours with other humans?! Why would I want to do that? Here, with your death, the strong will arise and the weak will be cut away!"

He grabbed her by the throat and raised her up "You can't outrun the beast for it can smell your every move and your fear like the stench of a corpse!" He watched her gasp for breath and try to wriggle away "Angua isn't here now; you can't run to your precious big sister for help!"

Elsa felt her oxygen being chocked away with Wolfgang's grip; she could see the world spinning away and going black and then-

Something blurred past her and caused Wolfgang to roar and drop her. She shook away the confusion and the spots and she saw Wolfgang, in wolf form, wrestling with an indistinct shape…

"Andrei!" She shouted, recognising her brother as Wolfgang fought to gain his balance. She heard his growl, a rumble in his throat "Run!"

Elsa, tearing her eyes from her brother sped her legs into a dash, but the werewolves' initiative sprung into action and they followed her, jaws snapping.

She panted to find shelter and a weapon, she could fight them off and then try running again for now, she couldn't out run them just yet she was too tired and exhausted to run just yet-

She saw the barn just ahead and she burst through the doors just ahead of the werewolves and pushed them shut. She heard several thumps as they barged into it to get it open, but she held fast. She breathed hard and looking around for something to hold the doors. She found a rusty, but strong looking chain a few feet away and reached for it quickly. Just in time she wound it round the door handles and tied it tight as she could. The doors shook as they fought to get the door open, but the chain held true and Elsa sank to ground and tried to gain her composure. 

Andrei was out there, he was being mauled by Wolfgang, the thought brought yet more tears to her eyes and she hugged her knees. How many more people would die for her? Angua, lots of Gavin's pack, now Andrei… Gods it was unbearable! She wanted to curl up and wait for it all to be over; she was so tired of running… 

Then the rattling of the doors stopped. 

She looked up to make sure she wasn't imagining it, but sure enough there was silence from the other side of the door, she leant against it to listen for anything. She could hear Andrei's snarls and growls as he continued to fight Wolfgang. 

Then to her horror, a cut off yelp and a roar of triumph.

'Oh no,' she breathed and drew a rattling, sobbing breath 'Oh Gods…'

Now she was trapped in here, the werewolves at the door and Andrei dead outside, there was no hope now…

She didn't want to do this anymore, she was so tempted to open the door and just let them in… 

NO! She screwed her face up and stood up, resolution determined and set in she supported herself against the door. She was going to beat the game! She was going to win and beat them! She was not a beast, she wanted to live and leave this place! She wasn't going to give Wolfgang the satisfaction of defeat, she was going to be the first to outrun him and use her own intelligence and her so-called weakness to get out.

Wolfgang wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and grinned, blood smeared across his jaws and his eyes now alight with a grim fire.

"Perfect," he mumbled, "just where we want her."

He turned to one of his lieutenants and nodded they sprang away into the town and came back a short while later, in human form, with a torch burning in his hand. Wolfgang held it for a moment, letting the fire dance its reflection and then held it above his head and shouted "For our clan we will burn away the dead wood!"

Elsa heard far too late, far too late she smelt the lamp oil on the hay around her in the barn, too late she had chain up the door.

The torch crashed through the window before she had a chance to think and the hay went up with a _whumth_. She watched the fire spiral around her and the smoke filled her lungs before she got a chance to take her last breath of fresh air. She was already too weak to struggle at the chains at the door, the werewolves waited outside and the back entrances were blocked by the walls of fire. Tears, both from the smoke and from the defeat, cut down her cheeks as the she struggled to get up and find another way out_._ She could smell burning and very little else, she couldn't fight it now, she couldn't get up or get out and she collapsed to the floor. 

She watched the fire engulf the barn and then she watched it engulf her… from a distance almost. She had lost the game and they had got her, so much for hope and the determination of the weaker species. Or maybe she just didn't know the nature of the beast, if only she had not tried to stand up to him, if only she had just thought like a beast for a moment… Perhaps to understand a beast you have to play by their rules for a moment and then… get more time to figure out a plan to really play to their weaknesses. 

Someone will figure it out one day, someone will beat the game and they will have the last laugh. They will over come the beast, not just Wolfgang but their own inner beast; they will over come the nature of the beast to at least try to give humanity some credit. 

She smiled as the flames finally overwhelmed her completely.

"Could have been worse," she said.

To be continued… Yep, still a bit more to go! I'm sorry, chapter one seems to have gone AWOL, I'll try and track it down but I suspect I've deleted it! I'll have to write it again, but still it'll be a chance to improve on it.

Anyway, please review! Fuel my ego! Or destroy it, either way…


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